Automatic hog crate



- Feb; 13, 1923.

R. ABERNATHY AUTOMATIC no CRATE F'iid Mar. 6, 1922" 2 sheets-sheep l[HHHII a attorney s,

.Eeb.13,1923. v 1,444,769

7 R. E. ABERNATHY AUTOMATIC HOG CRATE Filed Mar. 6, 1922 v 2sheets-sheet 2 Wrap jg 1d ROBERT EARL ABER-NATI-IY, F CONCORD, ELLINQIS.

AUTOMATIC Application filed March 6,

To a]! w from it may concc '12- 't known that l, Ptonnn'r EARL Anni:-lJAliiY, a citizen of the Unit d Ste siding at Concord, in the cow ofand State of lllinois, have inventer i fl. .l H ll Automatic riop;crate, or u rug is a specification.

This invention. relat s to restra' i1 e devices.

and more particularly to rest-.., ling especially designed for catchingand holding swine while they are being vaccinated, or otherwise treated.

Another object of the invention is to" provide a device this cha acterwhich may be operated to prevent the annual from backing; from the crateor body portion of the device.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means, whereby thecrate or body portion may e tilted laterally, throwingthe animal heldtherein, to his side. per 11; tting the animal to be treated with tacility.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceees, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of. the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit or": theinvention.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a deviceconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view disclosing'the doors which grip theanimals ne and restrict movement of the animal" r igure 4: is asectional view taken on line -iof Figure 3.

erring to the drawings in detail, the dev c embodies a frame includingvertical bars 5 and 6 disposed adjacent to the ends of the device and towhich the side boards 7 are secured, as by means of the bolts 8.

The vertical bars 5 and 6 have their ends 9 disposed at angles withrespect to the vertical, and to which, the rockers 10 are secured.

Hinged doors 11 partially close one end of the device, and are providedwith curved HOG CRATE.

1922. Serial No. 541,428.

surfaces 12 adapt-ed to contact with the aninials neck, the curvedsurtaces being tuch as to insure against injuring the aninuils neck,when the a imal is being l'ield to one off tne rockers 10 at a point 7'ectly over the doors 11., is atubular body portion through whichoperates a rod 14. The inner end or the rod let is formed vith a head 15which has openings to accommodate the right angled ends of the rod 16,,that in turn have connection with the doors 11, as through the mediumoi": the eye bolts 17. 1

Formed in the upper and lower surfaces of the rod 15 are ratchets 18 and19 respectively, the ratchet 18 being formed in the upper surfacecooperates with the pawl 20 pivotally supported at one end of thetubular body portion 13, to restrict movement of the rod 1 1 in onedirection. The ratchet 19, which is formed on theunder surface of therod 1% cooperates with the pawl 21, the teeth of the ratchet 19extending in a direction opposite to the teeth of the ratchet 18, torestrict movement or the rod 14- in the opposite direction and lock thedoors in their clamping positions.

Associated with the rod 1 1 is acoiled spring 22 which has one endthereof secured to the eye bolt 23, that is carried at the outer end ofthe rod 14, the inner end of the spring 22 being anchored to the bodyportion 13, through the medium of the eye bolt 24, so that when thedoors are moved to their open positions, as shown by dotted lines infigure 2 of the drawings, the spring 22 will be placed under tension.

In order that the device will be normally held in an upright position, ahinged supporting bar 25 is hingedly connected to one side of thedevice, it being mderstood that the weight of the rockers 10 issuficient to normally urge the device to assume a position wherein thedoors 11 will be arranged one above the other, and both or the sidewalls of the device will lie parallel with the ground surface.

The device is so constructed that it can be moved to an invertedposition and held in such position by means of the bar 25.

In the use of the device the doors 11 are moved to their open positions,the opening being wide enough to permit the head of the animal to passtherebetween. The pawl 21 is placed in contact with the ratchet 19,

the tension or the spring 912 being sufficient to hold the pawl 21 insuch position and prevent the doors 11 from closing.

The pawl 20 is now placed in contact vvitl the ratchet 18 prevent thedoors 11 from openii should the animal attempt to through the device.

The animal is now driven into the crate and immediately tries to passthrough the opened doors, which are open only Wide enough fo the animalto get its head through. Pressure against doors 11 automaticallyreleases pan l from. ratchet 19 allowing doors 11 to close on the animals neck through action of. tension spring 22. Pawl 20 operating innotches ot ratchet as doors close prevents doors 11 from opening shouldanimal. try to pass th: )ugh doors 11.

l hen it is desired to release the animal, 'atcd to disengage the maypass the pawl 20 is o ratchet 18, whereby the animal through the doors.

Having thus described the what is claimed as new is 1.. ln a device orthe character describcc, a body portion, rockers secured to the bodyportion, and arranged to overbalance the body portion, a supporting barfor normally holding the body port-ion in an upright position, and meansat one end of the body portion for clamping an animal.

2. In a device of the character described, a body portion, rockerssecured to the body portion, hinged doors at one end of the bodyportion, a tubular member supported above invention,

the doors, a rod movable through the tubular member and carrying anupperand lower ratchet, means cooperating With the upper ratchet "forrestricting movement of the rod in one direction, means cooperatingwiththe lower ratchet for restricting move ment or". the rod in the oppositedirection, means for connecting the doors to the rod whereby moveme itof the doors results in a relative movement of the rod, and resilientmeans for limiting movement of the rod.

3. In device of the character described, body portion, means secured tothe body portion to permit the same to be rocked laterally, a pair ofhinged doors, a tubular member supported above the doors, a rodoperating through the tubular member, said rod having; teeth on itsupper edge and having teeth extended in the opposite direction disposedon its opposed edge, pawls c0- operating with the teeth of the rod torestrict movement of the rod, rods connecting the doors and firstmentioned rod, whereby movement of the first mentioned rod will resultin a. relative movement of the swinging; doors, and resilient means forurging the doors in one direction.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence o1"- tWo Witnesses.

ROBERT EARL ABERNATHY.

ilhtnesses WALTER MOCARTY, C. E. NEWTON.

